When Eddie Malone is trying to interview Alek in an Ottoman coffee shop, he suggest that Alek and Bauer came to Istanbul on the Express. When Alek tries to describe arriving on the train, Malone tears apart his story and tells him about how the train arrives where one could see the water and a "wireless tower" near the tracks. Alek also remembers his father saying that the Orient Express was built to spread Clanker influence to Asia.

Deryn inside the Orient Express

After her mission in the Straits, Deryn comes up from the water to the spot where the Orient Express is bringing parts for a Tesla cannon. To hide from the men working there, she hides in a first-class saloon car. The car has a mechanical bartender and looks very fancy to Deryn. She finds some fancy cakes to eat and steals a bottle of expensive brandy to sell when she reaches Istanbul.

When Alek, Deryn, Zaven, Lilit, Klopp and Bauer are trying to destoy the Tesla cannon, the Orient Express runs into the iron golem that Klopp and Bauer are piloting. Both men are knocked out, but only Klopp sustains permanent injuries. The train stops itself after the crash with its cargo arms, and Deryn saves Alek from being hit by a cargo arm. Alek and Deryn take over the engine with Deryn's knife, planning to crash it into the Tesla cannon and save the Leviathan. Alek pulls the engine off of the tracks using the cargo arms to drag the train along, but the train is only able to tear down one strut before the Şahmaran pulls the Tesla cannon down. The Orient Express is severely damaged during the battle.